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06 March, 2009

Turning Red

I am pretty sure I told you about the Insights Discovery thing a long time ago. You don't remember? Let me refresh your memory.

It's a personality test, a la Myers-Briggs, with an emphasis on how people interact with one another in business, as well as social situations. In case you don't want to go back and read the old blog entry, the summary is as follows. Everyone is a differing combination of 4 personality "colors" (borrowed from their website):

Cool Blue - People with a preference for Cool Blue energy are introvertedand have a desire to know and understand the world around them. Theyprefer written communication in order to maintain clarity and precision,radiating a desire for analysis.

Earth Green - People with a preference for Earth Green energy focus onvalues and depth in relationships. They want others to be able to rely onthem. They prefer democratic relations that value the individual and arepersonal in style, radiating a desire for understanding.

Sunshine Yellow - People with a preference for Sunshine Yellow energyare strongly extraverted, radiant, and friendly. They are usually positiveand concerned with good human relations. They will approach others in apersuasive, democratic manner, radiating a desire for sociability.

Fiery Red - People with a preference for Fiery Red energy areextraverted and have high energy. They are action oriented and always inmotion. They will approach others in a direct, authoritative manner,radiating a desire for power and control.

If you can get around the cheesiness, which you probably can't, it's clear that these actually map pretty well to a portion of the Myers-Briggs segmentation. I tested as Blue and Yellow, with the Red and Green very low. I noted in previous blog that this is odd, because Blue and Yellow are opposites, so to have both is fairly unusual. The other consequence of having my "conscious" type be strong on Blue/Yellow was that my "less conscious" type (which might be thought of as the basic nature, when not "managing" affect) is the exact opposite: Red/Green (there's some complicated analysis regarding balance between the colors, that you'll have to read elsewhere). The most interesting thing (to me) is that only a tiny fraction of population is like this.

So I told you a lot of this before, why am I telling you again?

Because I decided that I need to be more red at work.

I thought a lot about how I deal with situations, and what I have come to realize is that when I really, really care about something, I am actually quite red. And quite green as well. In band situations, I have often taken on leadership role. In relationships, I am always the planner, who coordinates and wants to take care, and make sure everything is fair and balanced and in good working order. But in work, for some reason, I have always found it easier to sit back and provide data (blue) or stir up enthusiasm (yellow), without spearheading processes (red), or bringing people together and helping others to be their best (green).

I am not sure if it is fear, or if it is laziness, or perhaps it's that my work has never been my inherent passion. But recently, due to both economic uncertainty, and the general sense that I was not progressing as quickly as I should in my career, I decided that it is time to be red and green. But not just at the expense of the other colors...

I am going to be all colors!!

Why? Because I can.

For some reason, I have the ability to shift from one channel to another, and pull out whatever energy is required for a situation. And all that it takes is the will, and the choice. One does not necessarily have to be indecisive, in order to be detail oriented. Just as one does not necessarily need to be lacking in firmness, in order to be sensitive to others feelings and needs. I want to challenge myself to "do it all" and see where it takes me.

In the workplace right now, it is taking a conscious effort to "drive the process," but I assume that after some period of doing this, I will become better at it.